Wiglet attaching device

ABSTRACT

A wiglet positioning and attaching device characterized by a plastic or an equivalent ring or collar having means for anchoring a base-equipped wiglet in a given ready-to-use position. The ring or collar is adapted to encompass a backcombed matted mass of hair and is removably located and held in place with requisite nicety and certainty by the teeth of attachable companion combs. The fabric base of the wiglet is preferably but not necessarily sewn atop the ring by way of threads which are threaded through holes provided therefor in the ring.

United States Patent Serebrin 1 June 13, 1972 WIGLET ATTACHING DEVICE 248,542 10/1881 Wilson ..i32/46 R [72] Inventor: David Serebrin, Mobile, Ala. Pdmary Examiner Russen R- Kinsey [73] Assignee: Venture Enterprises, Inc., Mobile, Ala. Assistant Examiner-Gregory E- McNeill Attorney--C1arence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [22] Filed: Oct. 1, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 77,295 ABSTRACT A wiglet positioning and attaching device characterized by a s2 U.S. C1. ..132/46 R Plastic equivalent F s or Collar having means for [51] Int. Cl. ..A45d 8/00 anchoring q ipped wigiet in a given ready-to-use posi- [58] Field of Search ..l32/46 R, 53,54, 152, 101, ring enmmpass 3 132/105, 9 backcombed matted mass of hair and IS removably located and held in place with requisite nicety and certainty by the [56] References Cited teeth of attachable companion combs. The fabric base of the wiglet is preferably but not necessarily sewn atop the ring by UNITED STATES PATENTS way of threads which are threaded through holes provided therefor in the ring. 768,658 8/1904 Dongille ..132/46 R 3,385,305 5/ 1968 Buzzelli 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures WIGLET A'I'IACHING DEVICE This invention relates to ways and means whereby one is enabled to locate and reliably retain the attachable fabricated end of a wiglet on a wearers head and pertains, more particularly, to an improved wiglet accommodating and attaching device which lends itself to expedient, efiicient and advantageous use.

Persons conversant with the art to which the invention relates are aware that it is common practice to attach a wiglet to the wearers hair with the aid of bobby pins, clips and equivalent fasteners. Repeated experience has shown that the use of bobby pins and the like is unsatisfactory in that it permits a wiglet to work loose often in a matter of a few days. Confronted with this situation, it is necessary that the wiglet be again anchored by tediously backcombing the selected tuft of hair and reinserting the difficult-to-handle bobby pins. Depending upon the size of the wiglets base or pad and the density of the wearers hair, it is often necessary to resort to the use of ID to bobby pins. The fact that the stated problem is so well recognized has given inventors in this field of endeavor the incentive to cope with and attempt to satisfactorily solve the problem. For background purposes, the reader may desire to acquaint himself with the Frank Buaelli U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,305 or the Mazzocco wiglet U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,481. Other adaptations have been offered but the aforementioned patents may be regarded as exemplary of the general state of the art to which the invention relates.

The present invention, which is believed to be a satisfactory advance in the art, is such in design and capability that it will anchor a wiglet on the wearers hair quite securely and for whatever reasonable length of time the wearer desires. In fact and because the wiglet is securely anchored it can be combed and styled in any manner desired much like a personss natural or own hair. Then, too, and as will be hereinafter more clearly evident, the invention is such in construction that it will in no noticeable way necessitate a change in the structural design of commonly used wiglet attaching pads and bases and it can be manufactured to conform to any size and shape of a wiglet. Further, and as will be pointed out, the aforementioned ring or collar can be round or oval and the length of the companion comb attaching teeth will and can be manufactured in compliance with the prescribed manufacturing requirements of wiglet manufacturers.

Further, and for background purposes, it can and should be pointed out that, as a preparatory step, the hair on the wearer's head has to be backcombed close to the scalp. This is to say, the selected tuft of hair is backcombed so that the strands provide a suitably matted anchoring mass which is proximal to the wearers scalp. It is to this prepared area of matted mass that the main component, the adapter ring or collar, is attached by way of specially constructed combs.

Briefly the invention comprises an anchoring adapter which is designed and suitably adapted to rest atop the scalp in a manner to encompass the aforementioned matted mass of hair. Manually applicable and removable means is detachably connectible to and cooperable with the adapter and functions to locate and retain the adapter in its given position relative to the wearer's scalp and the selected matted mass of hair. The concept also includes, in combination, a wiglet which is provided with a conventional prefabricated base, usually of cloth or the like, and which is conformable with and seated atop the coacting surface of the adapter. Means is provided for connecting the base and the accompanying wiglet to the adapter.

More specifically the collar has inside and outside peripheral surfaces and planar top and bottom surfaces. The top and bottom surfaces have circumferentially spaced holes which are adapted to accommodate thread means which is threaded or passed through the holes and also through the base of the wiglet. Additional circumferentially spaced groups of bores or holes are provided and open through the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the collar and serve to accommodate the tines or teeth of appropriately designed and attachable and detachable hold-down combs.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing significant parts of the wiglet attaching device, that is, the specially apertured ring and a pair of companion or complemental insertable and removable combs.

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale with parts appearing in section and elevation and which serves to show the fabricated base of the wiglet and how it is applied and stitched in place and how the teeth or tines of the paired combs are applied for hold-down purposes.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective which shows the wiglet and the wiglet attaching device separated from each other and wherein the attaching device is applied and held in place, the threaded connection between the wiglet and device being omitted for clearness of illustration.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing component portions of one of the combs and how the teeth cooperate with the ring, the latter appearing in phantom lines.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view which shows how the fabric or equivalent base of the wiglet is sewn to apertured portions of the wiglet supporting and hold-down ring.

In actual practice the wiglet will vary in makeup and construction. The wiglet here shown is purely exemplary and may be of the construction shown or some other variation and is designated by the reference character A. The attachable bottom thereof is provided with customary base means which, more specifically, comprises a fabric or equivalent pad or base B whose outer marginal edge is folded upon itself to provide a reinforcing hem C. The wearers natural hair is denoted at D in FIG. 3. In actual practice the hair on the wearers head must be backcombed close to the scalp. As the comb is pushed toward the scalp it forces the hair toward the scalp thereby creating an entangled or matted mass (not detailed). This backcombed tuft should conform to the size and shape of the wiglet base B. In practice the wiglet may be marketed with the attaching device attached thereto. The attaching device per se comprises an annulus. This annulus can be a ring or collar and is preferably made of suitable moldable plastic material and is of requisite size and cross-sectional dimension. This ring or collar is denoted by the numeral 8. It is. characterized as having spaced parallel top and bottom planar surfaces, the top surface denoted at 10 and the bottom surface at 12. The inner peripheral surface is designated at 14 and the outer peripheral surface at 16. This ring or collar is provided with circumferential vertically disposed suitably spaced thread-accommodation holes 18. In addition it is provided with a multiplicity of horizontal bores which are individually denoted at 20 and which are arranged in groups of four (or any other suitable combination) and which open through the inner and outer peripheral surfaces, constitute keeper holes, and serve in the manner evident in FIGS. 2 and 3 in particular. These keeper holes are adapted to accommodate the teeth or tines of a pair of companion specially designed and appropriately cooperable combs. One comb at the left in FIG. 1 is denoted by the numeral 22 and the other one at the right by the numeral 24. Basically these combs are the same in construction except that the teeth on the comb 22 are longitudinally bowed and the teeth on the comb 24 are substantially straight from end to end. The idea here is that the teeth of the respective combs are uniquely adapted to cross one another in the angular relationship depicted in FIG. 2 with the curvate teeth interposed between the teeth of the underlying comb to achieve a more satisfactory anchorage. Each comb comprises a curvate or arcuate rigid back 26 the inner peripheral arcuate surface of which is denoted at 28. The tines or teeth can be of non-corrodible spring steel or, if found satisfactory, can be made of plastic material. Each comb has a group of four teeth and each tooth is made up of duplicate companion leg portions 30 which are joined by blunt free ends 32. These components are such that they can be inserted and passed through the keeper holes 20 in a seemingly obvious manner. It should be noted that the ends of the teeth which are joined with the arcuate surface 28 are so positioned that they define close-together portions 36 which are described as reduced necks and which coact in defining teeth positioning and retaining shoulders 38. It follows that these shouldered neck portions when pushed through the keeper holes serve to retentively lodge themselves in the respectively cooperable keeper holes in a seemingly self-evident manner.

The thus apertured ring or collar serves to accommodate not only the paired combs 22 and 24 but also the thread means which is employed to attach the base B of the wiglet atop the surface of the ring or collar. The thread means is referred to by the numeral 40 and appears in both FIGS. 2 and 5. These two views show how the wiglet is sewn to the base by looping the thread through the holes 18. One may vary this construction by using wire or some other satisfactory means of mounting the base of the wiglet atop the ring or collar.

The teeth may be constructed, using plastic as an alternate material. When constructed out of plastic the design of the teeth can be essentially the same as the teeth constructed out of spring steel or, each tooth can be solid (not detailed) in design. The number of teeth on each comb is not restricted to four teeth. Accordingly, the keeper holes may vary in number and in grouped association and relationship.

It is submitted that the manner in which the hair is prepared to accommodate the collar and the combs is evident in FIG. 3. As before stated, FIG. 3 is drawn in a manner to show the wiglet detached from the collar, that is before it is sewn in place. FIG. 1 shows the collar and combs and FIG. 2 shows the manner in which the wiglet is sewn in place and also how the combs are used. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the preferred construction of the comb teeth and backs or heads of the combs. Considering these figures in conjunction with FIG. 5 which shows the method of sewing, it is believed that the inventive concept will be clear and the manner of construction and preferred use will be likewise clearly evident. Accordingly, a more extended description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For temporary use in associatively cooperable relation with a selected tuft of hair whose strands have been properly backcombed to provide a matted mass of hair proximal to the wearers scalp: a wiglet attaching device comprising, an anchoring adapter designed and adapted to rest atop the scalp in a manner to encompass said matted mass of hair, manually applicable and removable means detachably connectible to and cooperable with said adapter and adapted to locate and retain said adapter in a given position relative to the matted mass of hair, a wiglet having a prefabricated base conformable with and seated atop a coacting top surface of said adapter, and retaining means connecting said base and consequently said wiglet to said adapter, said anchoring adapter comprising an annular collar of prescribed inside and outside diameter, said collar embodying inner and outer peripheral surfaces and being provided with circumferentially spaced bores providing selectively usable keeper holes for the aforementioned retaining means, said retaining means comprising bodily attachable and detachable companion combs, each comb embodying a rigid arcuately shaped back which has an interior arcuate surface which is designed to abut and bear against a given area of the coacting outer peripheral surface, said interior surface having bendably resilient teeth which are adapted to be inserted and passed through and retained in selected keeper holes, the ends of the comb teeth proximal to said interior arcuate surface having reduced shouldered neck portions which are proportional with the associated keeper holes and are cooperable therewith in a manner that the shoulders snap in place and assist in holding the combs in their functioning positions.

2. The wiglet attaching device defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said collar is made of plastic material and has inside and outside peripheral surfaces and planar top and bottom surfaces, said top and bottom surfaces having circumferentially spaced holes, said holes being adapted to permit the passage of thread therethrough, that is, thread which is used for sewing and attaching the base of said wiglet to said collar.

3. For temporary use in associatively cooperable relation with a selected tuft of hair whose individual strands have been manually and skillfully backcombed by hand to provide a matted hold-down mass of hair proximal to the wearers scalp; a wiglet attaching device comprising, in combination, a wiglet having a securely mounted attaching base, an annular collar having planar top and bottom surfaces, said collar being of predetermined inside and outside diameters, said base being superimposed on said top surface, said collar being provided with circumferentially spaced vertical holes, and threads passed through a marginal portion of said base and through the holes in said collar and secured in place, and wherein said collar is provided with circumferentially spaced horizontal groups of bores, said bores opening through inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the collar and providing keeper holes, and paired attachable and detachable combs, said combs having responsively yieldable elongated teeth attached to back members, said back members being adapted to abut the outer peripheral surface of the collar, said teeth being of a length to span the collar and said teeth being proportional to the keeper holes and being inserted and passed removably through said keeper holes so that the teeth of one comb are at an angle to the teeth of the other comb, the portions of the ends of the teeth adjacent the back of the comb being provided with shouldered neck portions and said neck portions constituting yieldably responsive retainers which are adapted to be snapped into their respectively cooperable keeper holes.

4. A wiglet mounting and retaining device comprising: a rigid annular collar constituting an adapter and capable of being positioned by hand atop a predetermined matted holddown mass of hair, said collar being solid and of significant cross-sectional dimension and having vertical inside and outside peripheral surfaces, said inside surface defining an unobstructed hair uncovering and exposing opening, the median body portion of said collar being provided with a row of cir cumferentially spaced horizontal bores opening through said inner and outer peripheral surfaces and providing selectively usable keeper holes, and a pair of structurally alike manually attachable and detachable collar attaching and anchoring combs, said combs having responsively yieldable elongated spaced side-by-side teeth attached at outer ends to said back members, said back members having surfaces abutting the outer peripheral surface of the collar, said teeth being of a length to span said opening and being proportional in size to the size of said keeper holes and passing removably but retentively through selected ones of said keeper holes in a manner that the teeth of one comb are disposed at an angle to the teeth of the other comb.

5. The wiglet mounting and retaining device defined in and according to claim 4, and, in combination, a wiglet having a complemental base conformable with, spanning, seated atop, and fastened to said collar, the teeth on one comb being longitudinally bowed and the teeth of the other comb being straight.

6. The wiglet mounting and retaining device defined in and according to claim 4, and, in combination, a wiglet having a complemental base conformable with, spanning, seated atop, and fastened to said collar, the teeth on one comb being longitudinally bowed and the teeth of the other comb being straight, each tooth embodying duplicate companion yieldable leg portions which are united by blunt free leading ends capable of passage through the keeper holes with which they are cooperable. 

1. For temporary use in associatively cooperable relation with a selected tuft of hair whose strands have been properly backcombed to provide a matted mass of hair proximal to the wearer''s scalp: a wiglet attaching device comprising, an anchoring adapter designed and adapted to rest atop the scalp in a manner to encompass said matted mass of hair, manually applicable and removable means detachably connectible to and cooperable with said adapter and adapted to locate and retain said adapter in a given position relative to the matted mass of hair, a wiglet having a prefabricated base conformable with and seated atop a coacting top surface of said adapter, and retaining means connecting said base and consequently said wiglet to said adapter, said anchoring adapter comprising an annular collar of prescribed inside and outside diameter, said collar embodying inner and outer peripheral surfaces and being provided with circumferentially spaced bores providing selectively usable keeper holes for the aforementioned retaining means, said retaining means comprising bodily attachable and detachable companion combs, each comb embodying a rigid arcuately shaped back which has an interior arcuate surface which is designed to abut and bear against a given area of the coacting outer peripheral surface, said interior surface having bendably resilient teeth which are adapted to be inserted and passed through and retained in selected keeper holes, the ends of the comb teeth proximal to said interior arcuate surface having reduced shouldered neck portions which are proportional with the associated keeper holes and are cooperable therewith in a manner that the shoulders snap in place and assist in holding the combs in their functioning positions.
 2. The wiglet attaching device defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said collar is made of plastic material and has inside and outside peripheral surfaces and planar top and bottom surfaces, said top and bottom surfaces having circumferentially spaced holes, said holes being adapted to permit the passage of thread therethrough, that is, thread which is used for sewing and attaching the base of said wiglet to said collar.
 3. For temporary use in associatively cooperable relation with a selected tuft of hair whose individual strands have been manually and skillfully backcombed by hand to provide a matted hold-down mass of hair proximal to the wearer''s scalp; a wiglet attaching device comprising, in combination, a wiglet having a securely mounted attaching base, an annular collar having planar top and bottom surfaces, said collar being of predetermined inside and outside diameters, said base being superimposed on said top surface, said collar being provided with circumferentially spaced vertical holes, and threads passed through a marginal portion of said base and through the holes in said collar and secured in place, and wherein said collar is provided with circumferentially spaced horizontal groups of bores, said bores opening through inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the collar and providing keeper holes, and paired attachable and detachable combs, said combs having responsively yieldable elongated teeth attached to back members, said back members being adapted to abut the outer peripheral surface of the collar, said teeth being of a length to span the collar and said teeth being proportional to the keeper holes and being inserted and passed removably through said keeper holes so that the teeth of one comb are at an angle to the teEth of the other comb, the portions of the ends of the teeth adjacent the back of the comb being provided with shouldered neck portions and said neck portions constituting yieldably responsive retainers which are adapted to be snapped into their respectively cooperable keeper holes.
 4. A wiglet mounting and retaining device comprising: a rigid annular collar constituting an adapter and capable of being positioned by hand atop a predetermined matted hold-down mass of hair, said collar being solid and of significant cross-sectional dimension and having vertical inside and outside peripheral surfaces, said inside surface defining an unobstructed hair uncovering and exposing opening, the median body portion of said collar being provided with a row of circumferentially spaced horizontal bores opening through said inner and outer peripheral surfaces and providing selectively usable keeper holes, and a pair of structurally alike manually attachable and detachable collar attaching and anchoring combs, said combs having responsively yieldable elongated spaced side-by-side teeth attached at outer ends to said back members, said back members having surfaces abutting the outer peripheral surface of the collar, said teeth being of a length to span said opening and being proportional in size to the size of said keeper holes and passing removably but retentively through selected ones of said keeper holes in a manner that the teeth of one comb are disposed at an angle to the teeth of the other comb.
 5. The wiglet mounting and retaining device defined in and according to claim 4, and, in combination, a wiglet having a complemental base conformable with, spanning, seated atop, and fastened to said collar, the teeth on one comb being longitudinally bowed and the teeth of the other comb being straight.
 6. The wiglet mounting and retaining device defined in and according to claim 4, and, in combination, a wiglet having a complemental base conformable with, spanning, seated atop, and fastened to said collar, the teeth on one comb being longitudinally bowed and the teeth of the other comb being straight, each tooth embodying duplicate companion yieldable leg portions which are united by blunt free leading ends capable of passage through the keeper holes with which they are cooperable. 